The frontman of Christian metalcore band As I Lay Dying will stand trial on the charge of trying to hire an assassin to kill his ex-wife. Timothy Lambesis allegedly told an undercover policeman he wanted Meggan Lambesis "gone", agreeing to pay $20,000 (£12,500).

Timothy was arrested in May, following a meeting in a bookshop with a man calling himself "Red". "Just to clarify, just so you know, I do want her dead," Lambesis reportedly said. He is said to have then handed Red a manila envelope with Meggan's name and photo, the security code for her flat, a description of her vehicle and three proposed dates for the slaying. He also included an initial $1,000 deposit.

Unfortunately for Lambesis, Red is better known as county sheriff's officer Howard Bradley. The sting was arranged after authorities had been alerted to the musician's alleged plot by a trainer at his gym, whom Lambesis had asked for help.

Yesterday, Lambesis appeared at a preliminary hearing to determine whether the case would go to trial. According to the Associated Press, Bradley testified that Lambesis had been fighting with his spouse over their proposed divorce settlement: the singer wanted more access to their three children and resented having to pay Meggan a portion of his income. Although his defence lawyer did not present a statement, he has previously asserted that Lambesis suffered brain damage from continued steroid use.

Superior court judge Robert Kearney has now ordered that the case proceed: Lambesis will be arraigned on 22 October under the charge of solicitation for murder, with a maximum sentence of nine years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. The 32-year-old is currently free on bail, but must continue to wear a GPS tracking device.

Lambesis founded As I Lay Dying in 2000, fronting the band through all of its six albums. Their last three LPs reached the Billboard top 15, and the group played the UK's Download festival in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012.